Leap
by CV35W
Summary: Jumps, discontinuities, and multiversal shenanigans. Rated T for cursing and some suggestive stuff, but enjoy anyway!
1. Mondays

NOTE: Because this is a really overarching X-overs fanfic and more of a personal project, there's not going to be any real mention of where any non-original characters are from. Other stories and games in here are only canon to a point (chronologically) so well-rounded knowledge is recommended. There's a lot in here.

Seriously though- look up anything you don't understand. Don't worry, none of it is _that_ cancerous (although it'll probably be fairly obscure.)

Now then- let's start with a Monday.

* * *

 **Chapter 1: Mondays**

*beepbeep! beepbeep! beepb-*

*THUD*

Just another Monday. Maybe worse than most, considering I'd just fallen out of bed.

I drowsily changed into a t-shirt and jeans and made my way downstairs to be interrupted by my sister crashing downstairs after me.

She yelled, "I'm gonna be late!" I realized if she was late, that meant I must've set my alarm incorrectly and was already absent from my first class.

After enduring a lightspeed nagging session by my math teacher, I made my way to my next few classes and managed to lose my wallet, fall down a flight of stairs and drop my homework in the hall. I finally had a moment of peace and quiet during lunch…

And then a giant chunk of rock sprouted out of the ground, making me drop my lunch.

As I was mourning the loss of my grilled cheese, the rock started glowing. Before I had time to think about why a rock would be glowing or in the middle of my cafeteria in the first place, I was knocked over by a gust of… wind? Magic? I don't really know, but I don't think it really mattered at that point. (In hindsight, my grilled cheese was probably a stupid thing to worry about at that moment. My first priority is food, ok?)

Judging by the then-current chain of events, I'd decided I had a very slim chance of getting out of the lunchroom without being in a bodybag.

Then _she_ appeared, and I dropped those chances down to zero.

Izanami. Japanese goddess of creation, and remade in far too many games to count. This time, it was from the mobile game Monster Strike.

As one of the hardest monsters to get in-game, I knew this was no laughing matter. I tried to quietly leave, but ended up slipping on my grilled cheese.

Dammit.

She turned as I fell and gave me a quick once-over, then broke into a smug grin. "You'll do." "For what?" I asked with a sinking feeling in my stomach. "Don't question me," she said as she glared. "I could wipe out your puny little life force with a blink. You're going to take this package and deliver it to me." A briefcase looking suspiciously like TF2 intel popped out of thin air and landed in front of me. I carefully raised it in one hand, trying to comprehend what was happening.

"...I've got a bad feeling about this," I said. "Am I supposed to take this somewhere?"

She smirked. "Take this through the route I give you and deliver it.

Also, I set a bounty on you to spur your progress- some hunters should be arriving soon."

"...wait, what the- WHY ME?!"

She gave me a knowing smile. "Why you, indeed."

With those words she disappeared, and a portal opened up where she'd been standing.

I stood there for a moment like an idiot, and took a deep breath. "Guess I'll just go…" I took a few steps forward, then a voice piped up from behind me- "THAT 10 BILLION EC IS MINE!" I turned around to the sight of a salvo of rockets careening towards my face. "GAHHHHHHH!" Tripping over my feet, I fell backwards.

If I'd wanted to quit at that point, it was too late- I stumbled through the portal into another world.


	2. Beacons, Blasts & Other Encounters

**Chapter 2: Beacons, Blasts & Other Encounters**

The next thing I knew, I was standing on a stone road. As I tried to catch my breath, the rockets harmlessly careened away and exploded mid-flight. _Cheap weapons,_ I thought, but fortunately the explosion snapped me back to the task at hand. I looked around for a sign pointing out my route, but as I looked I slowly began to recognize where I was.

Beacon Academy. The pride of Vale and the training ground of countless Hunters and Huntresses. I noted that the Academy seemed to be still standing, and deducted that it was before the season 3 finale. _I should keep that in mind- but for now, let's see where to next..._

"Maybe it'll be a nice, quiet route through the town," I said to myself. Then, I noticed holographic arrows appearing that pointed a route towards the academy. "Why did I have to jinx it?" I groaned. I set off towards the arrows, but soon broke into a run as my pursuers burst through the portal.

In ten minutes, I'd run through a lecture hall, catapulted a table of food in the cafeteria and run into several support columns. The good news was I had managed to throw off the people chasing me for the time being, but now I had another problem.

The arrows led to a window. A window three stories off the ground, that is.

I looked around for a door inside, but all I saw were bushes, windows and ivy.

Very conveniently placed ivy, that is.

I ended up taking another ten minutes scaling the wall and proceeded to crash through the window into a dorm, luckily unoccupied. After dusting myself off, I kept following the arrows through the halls and eventually ended up in an unused tower. Dusty boxes and other items lay scattered around the room, and I noticed a deck of cards sitting on a box. _I guess I'll take some stuff, since no one else is using it…_ I pocketed the cards and picked up a sheathed sword propped against the wall. An intricate design ran along the leather sheath, and as I drew the sword it glinted with a silvery light. Suddenly, I heard a distant sound of footsteps: "He must be up here!" I frantically sheathed the sword and looked around for the next part of the route.

That's how I found myself standing on a windowsill, looking at the arrow pointing straight at the ground several hundred feet below. "Well…" I looked behind me. "Guess the only way is down." I took a step closer, then pulled myself away from the edge. _What if it doesn't work?_ I asked myself. _I'd just be a grease spot on the pavement._

The footsteps still pounded up the stairs, rapidly getting louder. _Alright, on three,_ I told myself.

 _One…_

 _Two…_

 _Three._

* * *

I'd like to say I took a leap of faith and leapt into the air like a badass.

Actually, I was screaming and flailing my arms like an idiot.

A few seconds before I'm about to crash into the ground, another portal opens up underneath me.

I end up in a forest. A very blocky forest.

I would've stopped and complained about how cliche being dumped into Minecraft was, but having a murderous group of people with guns chasing you has a way of keeping you on your feet.

So I'm running through the forest, with bullets whizzing through the air. Being me, I decide to do the stupidest thing possible- run into a cave.

It was pitch-black inside, but I'd managed to find what seemed to be a reliable route. After sloshing through an underground pool and inching around several lava flows, I was fairly confident. I'd lost my pursuers, I knew where I was going.

Then I felt a tap on my shoulder. "Whatcha doin'?" a voice whispered behind me.

"GAAAAAAAAAH!" I whirled around, pointing my sword at a girl in a green creeper hoodie. Somewhere in the distance, I heard the group saying, "This way!" I lowered my sword and glared at the girl. "Are you trying to get me KILLED?" I whispered angrily. "I just wanted to know what you were doing," she said nonchalantly. _Great, a creeper girl,_ I thought. _Just what I needed._ "Do you find me annoying?" she asked, which made me realize that I'd just said that thought out loud. "Uh… no?"

She pouted. "Jerk…" I ducked to the side as she drove her fist into the cave wall, blasting it into dust. For once, things went my way and the explosion distracted the hunters, buying me time to dash through the cave towards the next world.

* * *

I ended up spending a very brief trip in the Fairy Tail guild, mostly because I nearly got my hair burnt off by a certain hot-tempered fire mage.

* * *

After that, I teleported into a city I couldn't recognize, with Victorian-style architecture and the curious scent of smoke in the air. A sign nearby read "Welcome to Greater Upper New Chiswick- we have the best-" My reading was interrupted by a round of bullets skimming my head. As I ran through the cobbled streets, I looked for a place to throw them off- then I spotted a door that was slightly ajar. I rushed through it and was hit by a wave of heat.

Several very burly mechanics looked up from their work, and I frantically apologized as I scurried past them. I kept running through the building, and ended up at the lowest level- a gigantic machine that looked like some sort of core. The portal into the next world was right across the walkway. Just a few more steps…

"Stop right there."

A uniformed person with a shield moved onto the walkway, blocking my path. "State your business at the core of Machina Halitus, stranger. Or I shall smite you." I froze as I heard the footsteps behind me getting louder. Snapping out of it, I begged him to let me pass. "Please, just let me through- I have to go!" The shield-bearer scowled and crouched in a defensive stance. "I, Schild Coulson, will not let you pass. For Lady Asche!" The footsteps behind me kept pounding inside my head, and I leapt into action.

Schild hunkered down behind his shield, but I had a different goal. Jumping onto his shield, I springboarded myself towards the portal. _Not bad,_ I thought as my feet hit the ground.

* * *

" _Oh, this is bad."_

I stopped at the edge of a cliff and stared into the lava below. Casting a look up, I noticed a series of rocks and ruins that looked vaguely like shrines. _I'd better keep going, and try to figure out where I am on the move._ I clambered from rock to rock as my pursuers burst through the portal once again.

 _Wait._ I paused for a moment to confirm what I was seeing. _Japanese symbols, hellish atmosphere… definitely the netherworld. Izanami's around here somewhere._ I picked up my pace to search for her. Eventually, one spot grabbed my eye- a temple that seemed mostly intact, with a faint glow behind the walls. Once I was at the front, I paused. "Um… delivery?"

The screen flew aside, and she stood there. Her expression morphed into surprise. "You actually made it," she said incredulously. "Come in." She held the screen open, and I walked in.

The inside was furnished like a regular teahouse, but with a very out-of-place pentagram in the center.

"Isn't a pentagram from Christianity?"

"Are you questioning my design choices?"

Izanami knelt down at one of the tables and poured a cup of tea. "Anyway, you're here in one piece. Interesting." My knees gave out as the fatigue from the chase hit me. "Interesting?..." I said. "I almost DIED!" She sipped her tea. "I'm aware of that, Jack. You did pretty well running away from those rockets."

A thought occurred to me. "Wait, how did you know- oh." In spite of my exhaustion, I glared at her. "YOU'RE the one who hired them." She smirked. "Took you long enough to figure out. Couldn't have you running out on our agreement, so I got them to keep you moving. Anyway…" She got up and took the briefcase from me. "Ah, here we are- the tea I wanted. Okay, you can go now."

"You made me run through four different worlds with a pack of hunters at my heels."

"Yes."

"So you could get your _tea._ "

"Yep."

"...how am I going to get back home?"

She took a tea bag from the case and placed it inside a pot. "Well… you don't."

"What?"

"Retracing your path would be too much work. Plus, there's no telling what you might tell people if you returned. Better to keep you here for now."

"So I'm stuck here," I said. My voice trembled. "I'm here for eternity." "I wouldn't say _eternity,_ " she replied. "Maybe a few millenia-"

I slammed my fist on a table next to me. "I don't HAVE THAT TIME! I'M HUMAN, DAMMIT!" As I yelled, I felt a burning sensation in my chest. "The ONLY thing I wanted was a regular life! And you've even taken that from me!" Izanami stood up and raised her staff. "Calm down and maybe you won't blow this place into oblivion with that magic of yours."

 _What magic?_

The magic circle I'd unknowingly created under my feet slowly grew wider and wider. The burning in my chest became close to unbearable, and I keeled over in pain. Just as my vision blurred, I saw the circle touch the pentagram and brighten.

Then a blinding light, and thunder rang through my skull.

Silence.

And all was still.


	3. MEDIC!

**Chapter 3: MEDIC!**

"I think his condition's stable, but-"

"Hold it! I saw his eye twitch."

I sat up in a hospital bed. "Ow," I muttered, rubbing my head. A nurse in front of me glanced at her clipboard. "My name's Dr. Ziegler, I'll be your consultant on call today. How do you feel?"

"Everything hurts."

"Well, that's normal."

I rubbed my eyes and stretched. "What happened?" Ziegler shuffled around some of her papers. "Standard magic explosion. Now that you're awake, we should be able to discharge you in a few days." I squinted at her. "I can't use magic," I said. "At least I don't think I can." She looked up. "Really? Well, that's interesting…" she said. "Does your homeworld have magic to begin with?"

"Nope."

"Well then."

An assistant with long white hair ran over carrying a pile of documents. "I-I have the files you asked for, Ms. Ziegler!" "No need to rush yourself, Erin. You have to watch your heart and lungs," she chided. "Even something like an argument could push you over the edge." Erin blushed. "I-I'll be fine, Ms. Ziegler. Thanks for asking." She turned to me. "My name's Erin Turner. U-um, I'll be helping you recover for the next few days after this. Anything you need?"

I shook my head. "Unless you have a way to send me back home." After an awkward silence, she cleared her throat and studied her feet for a second. "Um…" Looking up, she said, "If you have anything else you need, just press the call button on the side." As she walked away, she seemed even more flustered than when she arrived.

 _Maybe that was too much to ask,_ I thought. I didn't dwell on it for too long however, as my mind turned back to memories of home. _My little sister's probably waiting for me to read her another story before she sleeps… I wonder if I'll ever see her again. Wait a minute- Ziegler? That's familiar…_

From inside my head, I heard a voice exclaim, _"Hey, dumbass! At least try to figure out where you are first!"_

Snapping out of it, I tried to sit up and look around, in spite of the dull ache coursing through my back. The room I was in was a wide, airy medical ward, with bunks and other equipment separated by fabric screens. One side of the wall was lined with tall windows that led out to a balcony. "This is pretty damn nice for a hospital," I inadvertently said.

"Yeah, it is," said a voice behind the screen to my left. I looked over, surprised that I'd even gotten a response. Usually when I talked I'd be overruled by some other, louder stream of conversation. "Who are you?" I asked. "Ah, my name's Nagisa Shiota," he replied. "You don't mind if I move this screen, right? I like seeing who I'm talking to." "Oh, not at all," I replied calmly. Of course, I said this while my brain's running at a million miles per hour, because I know I'm talking to someone who could kill me in at least twenty different ways.

Thought process at the moment: _shitshitshitshitshit_

"Um…" I tried to turn towards him more, but winced as another jolt of pain shot through my side. "Okay, I think I'll just stay down," I said. I flopped back onto the mattress, and looked back to see Nagisa studying me curiously. "Hmm." He brought out a notebook as he said this, and flipped through a few pages. "You know more than you're letting on, don't you." I felt a shiver going through my spine. "I… don't know what you're talking about," I said nervously. He narrowed his eyes. "Your behavior is telling otherwise. "Of course…" He adjusted his pillow as he said this. "I think you've got your own reasons for keeping a secret." Suddenly, he brought down his guard and laughed. "Sorry for putting you on the spot there, Jack. I just couldn't resist asking a bit- any assassin worth their salt has to analyze their target on the fly sometimes," he explained. "You _do_ have a secret though. And from what I see, I think it's a big one." He leaned closer as he said this. "C'mon, tell me. Maybe it isn't as bad as you think."

I tried to change the subject by pointing something out. "How do you know my name?" I asked. He smiled. "When Izanami came storming into the medical ward all bruised, we knew something had happened. She dragged you here by the foot… it isn't everyday you see a god getting treated for injuries, you know. So… that means your power rivals that of a god. And a god of creation, too." He paused for a second to drink from a glass on a stand next to his cot. "Anyway, I just put two and two together and assumed it was something groundbreaking."

I looked at him, unsure of his reaction. "For something 'groundbreaking,' you're being awfully calm about this. Plus, I'm not even sure what I did." Nagisa looked up from his writing, surprised. "Seriously?" I nodded. He glanced back at his notes, seemingly disappointed in my answer. Then he shook it off, and prodded me again. "You still have one more thing you haven't told me." I sighed. "Keep this a secret, alright? If this gets out it could really change things, but it's not like I don't want to tell," I told him. Then I leaned in and cupped one hand to his ear.

"I know who you are," I whispered. "And at least half the people here." I pointed out people around the room. "Dr. Ziegler's a Swiss doctor from Overwatch. That's… Yoko Littner, I think. And that person over there is Roronoa Zoro from the Straw Hats, I think." I looked at him, unsure. "Did I pronounce that right?"

Nagisa stared at me as though I'd taken a bullet to the head and lived. Suddenly, his eyes lit up with excitement. "You did! Hold on, let me get this down…" I waited as he furiously scribbled in his notebook. When he finished, he flipped to a blank page and gave the notebook to me. "Here, write down everything you know." "Wait, hold on," I said. "I haven't finished. The reason I know…"

"...is because of my world. In my world, you're a character in a manga."

Nagisa looked confused. "So I'm a fictional character?" I shrugged. "You're here now, so I guess not. In my world you are, though." He mulled over my words for a second, and then a light seemed to go off in his head. "OH! So that's why you know so much! It's because they're all from books or games!" "Or TV shows," I added. "Actually, Izanami is the boss in this one mobile game I play-" "Oh, Monster Strike?" he guessed. "That was the multiverse project disguised as an AR game, right? So in your world it's a mobile game?" "Yep," I replied. "I guess I'll have to get used to seeing people right out of all the books and shows that I've watched." I turned to him suddenly. "You can keep this a secret, right?" Nagisa grinned. "Only if you answer my questions," I demanded. I saw his eyes glaze over in thought for a second, then they cleared as he decided. "Alright," he said. "What do you need?"

"Tell me where I am."

"You're in the Assembly."

"...tell me more."

* * *

"The Assembly is an organization committed to preserving balance in the multiverse. It was founded by one of the first "active" teams, which we just refer to as 'Origin.' They were the first ones to establish interdimensional travel, and also the first to recruit others from different worlds. As an active team, their duties are mostly exploration, or major missions. We're in the Assembly's main base- the 'Hub,' which is set in a pocket dimension- a small, stable world with actual boundaries. Actually, if you crossed one of the borders, you'd pop out on the other side; it's pretty interesting."

"Moving on- the people in charge are actually a different team called 'Council.' They don't actually control everything, they just supervise. It's an interesting setup, but it's surprisingly effective, because it gives everyone else here a sense . Each of them oversee different areas of the Assembly- Magic, Tech & Transport, Maintenance, EC Flow, Combat and Interworld Relations. It doesn't cover everything, but it works and that's what counts. You'll probably meet some of them later."

"The entire thing is backed by the Glass Corporation, which is based in what could be considered the 'closest' universe in a way. That involves the actual multiversal theory revolving around the fourth dimension as a state of probability- but it's kind of complicated, so I won't bore you with that. You look tired enough anyway."

I felt my eyes drooping. "Yeah, maybe I need some rest…" Before I knew it, I'd fallen asleep.

I woke up the next day to an empty bed on my left. When Erin arrived, I asked, "Where did Nagisa go?" She paused and then dug through a pocket. "He just left the hospital, but he wanted me to give you this note."

 _Once you get out, make sure to tell me more about your world. See you around._

 _-Shiota_

I managed a slight smile. Maybe things would go my way.

"Okay, take two lefts, take a right at the quest wall and you'll hit the Info Desk."

"What?"

*Sigh* "Just take this map."

So there I am, outside the medical ward with my backpack (I'd taken it with me worrying about homework- stupid decisions) and a map. And of course, I have no idea what to do.

I looked around. The atmosphere seemed strangely subdued for a multiversal hub, then I realized it was about 5:30 in the morning. _"The last time I woke up this early was for a school trip,"_ I thought as I tried to navigate the maze of hallways. While making my way to the Info Desk, I caught a glimpse of what to expect. Alchemists and mages at work, swordsmen and archers training… a lot of stuff out of my league, of course.

The entire base seemed to be made out of some softly gleaming metal I later learned was called murdicium. Both the hallways and the floor reflected the light coming from the ceiling, giving the place an almost unearthly feel. As I neared the spot where the info desk was supposed to be, the hallway opened into a large rotunda with a glass dome. Sunlight shone down onto the floor from about 50 stories up, and the walls were either other floors of the base or giant screens reminiscent of Times Square in New York. Across the screens flashed announcements, adverts and news from across the multiverse. Down one of the other halls that fed in was a giant board that covered the entire wall of the corridor, covered in papers and the occasional holo-screen.

Even though it was only 6 in the morning, the Hub was quickly filling up. I walked to the middle of the room where the Info Desk was, a circular piece of order in the midst of the increasing chaos. "Um, hi," I said to the girl behind the counter. "I'm supposed to register for the Assembly?..." She looked up from her reading. "Oh, ok," she responded. She popped open a cabinet by her feet and pulled out what looked like a wristband. She tossed it to me, saying "Just hit the button on it and a screen should show up that helps you through registration. Good luck!"

I pressed the button, and a holo-screen appeared.

" _Welcome to the Assembly."_


	4. Icebreaker

**Chapter 4: Icebreaker**

"Could you point me to room B6-619A?... Thanks."

 _Okay, deep breath. You've got roommates, and it's important to put your best foot forward._

 _And…_

*thud*

"...I'm gonna have to admit, seeing someone trip like that is impressive."

Of _course_ I trip on my feet and trip through the door face-first. Introductions, everybody. Make them count.

Anyway, there I am face-first on the floor, and I look up to see a jar of eyeballs staring back at me. "GAAAAAAAAH!" Erin peered over the table, labeling jars. "Oh, it's you," she said. "Are you staying here?" I got up and dusted myself off. "Yeah… although I did _not_ expect one of my roommates to have a jar of organs. Ah, correction- _several_ jars of organs," I replied. She blushed. "Sorry- I have a tendency to keep stuff like this on hand for my research."

"What research?"

"Don't ask, don't tell."

I was standing in a small sitting room with a small kitchen in one corner. The fridge was ajar, crammed with a mix of groceries, blood packs, and organs. _Great, one of my roommates is a serial-killer in training._ "By the way," I asked, "where are the others? Aren't there supposed to be two more p-"

"Eyyyyyyy, who's this nerd?"

The aforementioned people walked in behind me- a pale-skinned girl in WWII-era clothing and a redhaired mechanic with wings. "Oh, you're back," Erin observed. "How's the jump lag treating you, Volt?" "I'm okay, but Phoenix here," the girl pointed to him, "is still half-asleep." Phoenix just mumbled something about Thursdays as he collapsed onto a chair. "Yeah, he's not a morning person," Volt admitted. "So anyway…" She turned to me. "You're Jack, right?" She stuck out her hand. "I'm Cana Trent- magician, vampire, and pyromancer. A lot of people call me Volt." I shook her hand, and she looked over at Phoenix. "That's Phoenix Murphy. He's the one who got the portal system up and wrote the multiverse theory. He's also a huge nerd, so feel free to bug him about it." She dumped a bag on the table and walked over to a door. Anyway, one word of warning- this place is bigger on the inside."

She opened the door to reveal a well-furnished living room. "A pocket dimension addon for extra rooms. Being part of Origin has its perks," she explained. "Wait, you're part of Origin?" I asked. She smiled. "Me, Erin and Phoenix are all part of Origin. Surprise. Anyway, another room spawned in for you, so we were expecting someone to join us anyway," she said as she led me to my room. "By the way, the stuff on your bed is a gift. We all pitched in to get it, so hopefully you like it." She opened another door and held it open for me.

The room was unexpectedly homely, with a wooden floor and walls paneled with birch. "This is… nice," I said, surprised. The only furnishings were a wooden desk and chair, a shelf, and a plain bed, but they all looked comfortable despite their simplicity. Sitting on the bed was a small package bound in waxed paper, and opening it revealed a book the size of a small dictionary. " _The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Multiverse, Second Pocket Edition_ by Ford Prefect. This is a thing?" I asked her. She grinned. "It's a bestseller," she clarified. "Of course," I said, rolling my eyes. She snickered and turned to leave. Before she left, she mentioned, "A few tips- I think for now you should try to get your weapon classified-" she pointed to my sword, which I'd almost forgotten about: "...and you should try to earn some EC, because that'll help you through your adventures." "EC?" I asked. "What's that?" "EC is literally pure energy, but we usually put it in coin form. You could reform it into stardust, a weapon, even a jar of eyeballs. It all depends on how much you have, really. Try to have some on hand at all times."

I wandered back out to the main room to find Erin packing her organs into the fridge. "Remind me not to put my lunch there," I told her. "By the way, Cana mentioned something about getting a weapon classified?" Phoenix poked his head up. "B12-A is the armory," he stated before flopping down again. Erin chuckled. "Well, you should head down there," she said. "No point in having a weapon when you don't even know what it is, much less how to use it." "Thanks," I said as I headed out.

* * *

B12-A caught me off guard, which is saying something if you take the last few events into account. A gigantic underground warehouse filled with ammo, forges, machinery, and other highly dangerous materials.

"Weapons registration? It's over there." A nearby blacksmith pointed me to a side hallway that branched off to the left.

"Woah."

The room that the hall opened up to looked vaguely like a modern waiting area at an airport- if airports had an arms dealing business on the side. The actual occupants made up everyone and everything possible- mages, snipers, alchemists- and there were more than a few familiar faces that stood out. Especially one…

"Nagisa!" He looked up from his seat a few rows away, and I ran over to him, relieved to see a semi-familiar face. "Oh, you're here too," he said. "You have a weapon?" "Yeah! Hang on…" I unsheathed the sword and handed it to him. "It looks cool, right?" He silently examined it. "Uh… Nagisa?" He looked at me with another look of curiosity. "Where did you get this?" he enquired. "Um…" I thought about it. "The world of Remnant?" He seemed confused. "Well, we've heard about that world, although the permanent connection's still being established… but are you _absolutely sure_ you got this from Remnant?" "Well, I jumped off the tallest tower in Beacon," I stated. "Something like that helps me remember." He looked at me inscrutably. "Wait, you jumped off- ...never mind. My point here is, this weapon is strange. It's supposed to be a shortsword, but the intricate design on the blade and the fine material says otherwise. This is a silver-platinum alloy blade. "Is that good?" I asked. "For like, fights?" "No," he said. "This sword would break in about ten swings. It's intriguing…" His eyes clouded over as they ran over the sword. "Hmm…" A sudden thought came to me. "I found these cards with the sword too, actually. Maybe they're connected?" I pulled the cards out of my pocket and handed them to Nagisa. "Oh, _this_ is interesting…" He picked one out and examined it. "These look like some sort of magic item. A magic knight?... no, these runes are too complex for just that. Well, you should get these checked out when you register them. You'll tell me, right?" I smiled. "Of course I will. Anyway, I'd better see what these are."

* * *

"I have no idea what these are."

"...I'm sorry?"

Chris Williams, one of the armory's maintainers, said, "Yeah, I really can't figure this out. Magic isn't my forte. That sword is crap, though." He pulled out a katana from what I presumed was an EC capsule. "If you want an actual good weapon, you could sell that and-" "No, I'll be fine," I said, flustered. "Thanks for the offer." He grinned. "I'll see you around. You ever want training, you can find me over in arena 3 on weekdays at 3PM."

The door clicked shut behind me, and I exhaled in frustration. _Well, that didn't help._

"So, what did he say?" asked Nagisa. "Nothing helpful," I groused. "So far, it looks like I have some weird cards and a crappy sword. Say, you have intel- any idea where I'd find someone who knows magic stuff like the back of his or her hand? Actually, I wouldnt even care if it was a person-" Nagisa interrupted me: "If that's the case, I know just the person- well, AI." "Is it a certain Autonomously Thinking Fixed Artillery?" I joked. Nagisa laughed. "No, this one doesn't kill. Although it does sass," he noted.

"Wait, what?"


End file.
